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IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY OF LASER LAND LEVELING AS COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL LAND LEVELING ON WATER
SAVING AND YIELD OF MAIZE-WHEAT CROPPING SYSTEM
Monitoring & Evaluation Consultants Punjab Irrigated-Agriculture Productivity
Improvement Project (PIPIP)
Punjab Irrigated-Agriculture Productivity Improvement Project (PIPIP)
Impact Assessment of Laser Land Levelling
i
AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT GOVERNMENT OF THE PUNJAB
DIRECTORATE GENERAL AGRICULTURE (WATER MANAGEMENT)
MM Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd.
2nd Floor, CTI Building 27-Empress Road Lahore-54000 Pakistan Tel: +92 42-36300440, 36300460 Fax: +92 42-36292528, 36360267 [email protected]
Associated Consulting Engineers ACE – (Pvt.) Ltd.
Punjab Irrigated-Agriculture Productivity Improvement Project (PIPIP)
Impact Assessment of Laser Land Levelling
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1-1
1.1 Project Background ................................................................................................................................... 1-1
1.1.1 Precision Land Levelling .............................................................................................................. 1-1
1.1.2 Technology (LASER Land Levelling) ........................................................................................... 1-1
1.1.3 Components of LASER Land Levelling System .......................................................................... 1-1
1.1.4 Benefits ......................................................................................................................................... 1-1
1.2 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 1-1
1.2.1 Water Use and LASER Land Levelling ........................................................................................ 1-3
1.3 Research Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 1-4
1.4 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................................................. 1-6
1.4.1 Impact of LASER Land Levelling on Water and Irrigation Time Saving ...................................... 1-6
1.4.2 Impact of LASER Land Levelling on Growth and Crop Productivity ........................................... 1-7
1.4.3 Impact of LASER Land Levelling on Cost of Production ............................................................. 1-8
1.4.4 Impact of LASER Land Levelling on Net Revenue in Maize-Wheat Cropping System .............. 1-9
1.4.5 Impact of LASER Land Levelling on Energy Saving ................................................................. 1-10
1.4.6 Impact of LASER Land Levelling on Climate Change ............................................................... 1-10
1.4.7 Impact of Laser Land Levelling on Net Income of the Farmers ................................................ 1-11
1.5 Conclusion and Key Findings ................................................................................................................. 1-12
1.6 Policy implications ................................................................................................................................... 1-12
References ......................................................................................................................................................... 1-13
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Impact Assessment of Laser Land Levelling
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LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1: Impact of Laser Land Levelling on water saving, time of irrigation and cost of levelling for
Maize crop ......................................................................................................................................... 1-6
Table 1.2: Impact of Laser land levelling on water saving, time of irrigation and cost of levelling for
Wheat crop ........................................................................................................................................ 1-6
Table 1.3: Impact of Laser Land Levelling on water saving, time of irrigation and cost of levelling for
Wheat crop ........................................................................................................................................ 1-7
Table 1.4: Impact of Laser Land Levelling on growth an crop productivity of maize-wheat crops ...... 1-7
Table 1.5: Impact of Laser Land Levelling on cost of production of maize-wheat crops .................... 1-8
Table 1.6: Impact of Laser Land Levelling on Net revenue of maize-wheat cropping system ............ 1-9
Table 1.7: Impact of Laser Land Levelling on electricity and diesel saving in maize-wheat cropping
system ............................................................................................................................................. 1-10
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
DGAWM Director General Agriculture Water Management
DDA Deputy Director Agriculture (OFWM)
ADA Assistant Director Agriculture (OFWM)
HEISs High Efficiency Irrigation Systems
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
OFWM On Farm Water Management
PIPIP Punjab Irrigated-Agriculture Productivity Improvement Project
PISCs Project Implementation Supervision Consultants
SSCs Supply and Services Companies
WM Water Management
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Impact Assessment of Laser Land Levelling
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Project Background
1.1.1 Precision Land Levelling
Increasing water shortages have compelled the farmers for developing strategies for efficient
utilization of available water resources. Enhancement of water productivity at farm level is the most
appropriate solution to redress water scarcity. Precision land leveling (PLL) is a mechanical process
of grading and smoothing the land to a precise and uniform plane surface at grade or no grade (zero
slope) with variation of less than ±20 mm (2cm). Generally, traditional method is used for PLL that
involves earth movement with bucket type soil scrapers and tractor mounted rear blades.
1.1.2 Technology (LASER Land Levelling)
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (LASER) Land Leveling is the best option for
improving water productivity through minimizing water application losses. Use of LASER technology in
the precision land leveling was introduced in the Punjab during 1985 through On Farm Water
Management (OFWM) program. It has proved to be a highly efficient tool for achieving a high degree
of precision for carrying out PLL operations in much lesser time.
1.1.3 Components of LASER Land Levelling System
The LASER controlled land leveling system consists of a LASER transmitter, a signal receiver, an
electrical control panel, and a solenoid hydraulic control valve. The LASER transmitter transmits a
laser beam, which is intercepted by the signal receiver mounted on a leveling blade attached to the
tractor. The control panel mounted on the tractor interprets the signal from the receiver and opens or
closes the hydraulic control valve, which raises or lowers the leveling blade. Some LASER
transmitters have the ability to level the field on single or dual graded slopes ranging from 0.01 to 15
percent.
1.1.4 Benefits
Precision Land Leveling has been proved to be highly beneficial because it minimizes the cost of
operation, ensures better degree of accuracy in much lesser time, saves irrigation water, ascertains
uniform seed germination, increases fertilizer use efficiency, and resultantly enhances crop yields.
Saving in irrigation time
Increase in irrigated area
Improvement in crop yields
Reduction in farm culture able waste land
1.2 Introduction
The rapidly declining stock of groundwater for irrigation poses a significant threat to agriculture in
Pakistan. As a result, there has been great interest in policies that could be used to encourage
farmers to adopt various water-saving technologies. Water is one of the most important inputs for crop
production. Increasing water scarcity is also seen as major contributor to stagnating productivity of
cropping system (Byerlee et al. 2003; Kumar et al. 2002). Due to the absence of efficient water-pricing
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Impact Assessment of Laser Land Levelling
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mechanisms, the scarcity value of water is not reflected in water prices (Pingali and Shah 2001). In
the face of unreliable canal water supplies, many farmers have increased their reliance on private
tube wells placing tremendous pressure on groundwater supplies (Abrol 1999; Ahmed et al. 2007;
Qureshi et al. 2003). Negative environmental effects related to irrigation are increasing as
overexploitation of groundwater and poor water management lead to the dropping of water tables in
some areas and increased waterlogging and salinity in others (Harrington et al. 1993; Pingali and
Shah 2001; Qureshi et al. 2003). In addition, tube-well irrigation has raised production costs in view of
energy expenses incurred on electricity or diesel (Qureshi, et al. 2003). Also significant amount of
irrigation water is wasted due to undulated fields and due to field ditches. The crop productivity of the
country is very low as majority of the farmers are still practicing traditional farming techniques.
Moreover, cost of production has increased many times due to rising prices of fuel and other
agricultural inputs. The existing crop production technologies do not offer effective and efficient
utilization of natural resources, particularly that of water. Extremely low efficiency of input use has led
to wastage and depletion of natural resources besides environmental degradation (Hobbs, et al.
1997). The importance of efficient use of this precious crop input increases as the world population
increases. Qutab and Nasiruddin (1994) reported that the Pakistan Rabi Shortfall of 3.5 million acre
foot (MAF) could increase to 13 MAF by the year 2019, at this stage; country would need more food
and fibre to meet the needs of the growing population. This shortfall has to be met either by
constructing new reservoirs or by improving the water use efficiency at farm level. The construction of
new reservoirs has financial and environmental constraints. Whereas, the efficiency of the irrigation
system could be improve easily by adopting proper technologies (Ashraf et al. 1999). However, the
water use efficiency along with yield per acre could be increase by adopting resource conservation
technologies like laser land levelling.
Unevenness of the soil surface has a major impact on the germination, stand and yield of crops
through nutrient water interaction and salt and soil moisture distribution pattern. Land leveling is a
precursor to good agronomic, soil and crop management practices. Resource conserving
technologies perform better on well leveled and laid-out fields. Farmers recognize this and therefore
devote considerable attention and resources in leveling their fields properly. However, traditional
method of leveling land are not only more cumbersome and time consuming but more expensive as
well. Thus in the process of a having good leveling in fields, a considerable amount of water is
wasted. It is a common knowledge that most of the farmers apply irrigation water until all the parcels
are fully wetted and covered with a thin sheet of water. Studies have indicated that a significant (20-
25%) amount of irrigation water is lost during its application at the farm due to poor farm designing
and unevenness of the fields. This problem is more pronounced in the case of rice fields. Unevenness
of fields leads to inefficient use of irrigation water and also delays tillage and crop establishment
options. Fields that are not level have uneven crop stands, increased weed burdens and uneven
maturing of crops. All these factors tend to contribute to reduced yield and grain quality which reduce
the potential farm gate income.
Effective land leveling is meant to optimize water-use efficiency, improve crop establishment, reduce
the irrigation time and effort required to manage crop. The Manual for Laser Land Leveling seeks to
explain the benefits of land leveling in fields, particularly rice fields, and help develop skills of farmers
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and operators in using laser technology to achieve a level field surface. It is also intended to enable
the users to identify and understand the working of the various components of a laser-controlled land
leveling system; undertake a topographic survey using a laser system; set up and use a laser-
controlled leveling system. It is hoped that the users (farmers and service providers) could be
beneficial by adopting this important resource conserving technology as a precursor to several other
improved agronomic, soil and crop management practices. Laser technology can ensure very
accurate and precision land leveling to extent of +2 cm (London, 1995; Waker, 1989). The resource
conservation technologies (RCTs) mainly include bed planting of wheat, sowing of wheat following
zero tillage technology, bed and furrow sowing of cotton and management of crop residues.
Laser land leveling adopted in Pakistan has shown encouraging results under zero tillage technique
wheat is sown using residual moisture with no or minimum tillage without irrigating the fields with the
aim to sow wheat in time after rice, conservation of water, and reduced cultivation cost (Akhtar, 2006).
In Sindh laser land leveling was adopted last decade ago by the growers. However, necessary data to
support its effectiveness on crop yield and water saving are scarce. It was therefore, felt imperative
need to evaluate the effect of laser and traditional land leveling technologies on maize and wheat
productivity, land and water use efficiency in maize-wheat system of Punjab. This study was
conducted to evaluate the impact of laser leveling technology on water saving and crop production to
compare these with conventional methods.
1.2.1 Water Use and LASER Land Levelling
While Pakistan is the largest user of groundwater in the world (with heavy demand from both
agriculture and households), current patterns of groundwater use are not sustainable in the long run.
Water tables are falling rapidly, in large part due to the fact that individuals do not bear the cost of the
water they use and continues pumping of groundwater leads to reduce the water table. If current
trends continue, some estimates suggest that national food production could fall by around 25 percent
by 2025 (Seckler et al, 1998). In principle, the best policy to curtail over-extraction would be to price
water at its social marginal cost, or barring this, water pumping policy that makes pumping water
effectively free. However neither of these is practical in the short run; the first would require metering
and monitoring millions of private wells nationwide, while the latter is politically problematic. Given
these limitations, there is a strong argument that policy intervention to encourage the use of water-
saving technologies is a logical second-best measure. Laser levelling is one such technology: in brief,
it is a method of smoothing agricultural fields to high precision by using laser guidance. Laser levelling
is an “add-on” technology, in the sense that it supplements rather than replaces the traditional method
of levelling a field. In traditional levelling, a grading implement with a blade is towed behind a tractor
over the surface of a field, the height of the blade is adjusted manually by the operator so as to
achieve a surface that appears smooth and level to the human eye. The innovation in laser levelling is
to use a laser guidance system to raise and lower the blade of the grading implement automatically.
The result is a significantly flatter field than an unaided human operator could achieve. Evidence
suggests that the benefits of levelling can be substantial. In controlled experiments on agricultural
plots, researchers at Punjab Agriculture University found that laser levelling increases crop yields and
water saving, holding constant other inputs like fertilizers and seed quality. These experiments have
also demonstrated that levelling reduces weeds and labour time spent weeding. However, because
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these results were achieved by academic researchers implementing best practices, it remains to be
seen whether real farmers operating in uncontrolled conditions will achieve similar benefits. Assessing
this question was one purpose of our study.
1.3 Research Methodology
Two field experiments were carried out in maize-wheat rotation during the growing seasons 2016-17
and 2017-18, at Water Management Research Farm (WMRF) Renala Khurd to study the impact of
laser land levelling as compared to conventional land levelling on water saving and crop productivity
of maize & wheat under the agro-climatic conditions of district Okara.
In first experiment on maize crop, two variables conventional land levelling and laser land levelling
with two sowing method and irrigation method i.e. flat sowing and ridge sowing, flood irrigation and
furrow irrigation. Therefore, four treatments were observed i.e., conventional land levelling with flat
sowing, conventional land levelling with ridge sowing, laser land levelling with flat sowing and laser
land levelling with ridge sowing. Pioneer variety 31R88 was grown for the experiment. Both tube well
and canal water was used for irrigation. For the measurement of discharge, a cut throat flume was
installed at main nakka of the filed to measure the water discharge. Net plot size was 260 ft length
and 48 ft width of each plot. Two techniques were used to level the field. Conventional land was
levelled with the help scraper locally called kara and other field were levelled with help of laser land
leveller. Soil samples were taken to make the soil analysis. All other variables like DAP, Urea and
SOP fertilizer and no. of irrigation for all plots were kept constant. Randomized Complete Block
Design was used for the wheat experiments in which each treatment was replicate 3 times to
minimize the error. We compared total volume of water applied, total irrigation time per season and
crop yield between laser land levelling and conventional land levelling.
In the second experiment on wheat crop, three variables conventional land levelling, laser land
levelling as per farmer method and laser land levelled as per engineering method with drill sowing
method and flood irrigation method was used. Three treatment were observed i.e. conventional land
levelled, laser land levelled as per farmer method and laser land levelled as per engineering method.
In engineering method, first of all take topography survey of the field and make cut and fills ration
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point. Both tube well and canal water was used for irrigation. For the measurement of discharge, a cut
throat flume was installed at main nakka of the filed to measure the water discharge. Net plot size was
63.41 m length and 11.89 m width of each plot. Three techniques were used to level the field.
Conventional land was levelled with the help scraper locally called kara, second field was levelled with
laser land leveller as per famer method and third field was levelled with laser land leveller as per
engineering method. Soil samples were taken to make the soil analysis. All other variables like DAP,
Urea and SOP fertilizer and no. of irrigation for all plots were kept constant. Randomized Complete
Block Design was used for the wheat experiments in which each treatment was replicate 3 times to
minimize the error. We compared total volume of water applied, total irrigation time per season and
crop yield between laser land levelling and conventional land levelling.
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1.4 Results and Discussion
1.4.1 Impact of LASER Land Levelling on Water and Irrigation Time Saving
Laser land levelling is essentially a water-saving technology as it uses scarce groundwater optimally
by ensuring even coverage. Compared to conventional levelled land, a laser levelled field minimises
run-off and water-logging ensuring that farmers use just as much water they need in the best possible
way. The results given in the Table 1.1 shows that 27.2 % of irrigation water saved in laser levelled
field as compared to conventional levelled field in maize crop. Time of irrigation is also an important
indicator. The results shows that 31.3 % time saved in laser levelled field as compared to
conventional levelled field in maize crop.
Table 1.1: Impact of Laser Land Levelling on water saving, time of irrigation and cost of levelling for Maize crop
Parameters Conventional Land
Leveling Laser Land Leveling
Impact of Laser Levelled (Saving)
Cost of Leveling per Acre (Rs.) 2,921.4 1,824.5 +37.6%
Number of Irrigation 11 11 +0.0%
Total Volume of Water Applied (Cubic/Acre) 3,411.2 2,484.3 +27.2%
Time Consumed (Hrs./Irrigation/Acre) 3.5 2.4 +31.3%
Similarly, wheat experiment was conducted to assess the impact of laser land levelling on water
saving for wheat crop and results are described in the given Table 1.3.
Table 1.2: Impact of Laser land levelling on water saving, time of irrigation and cost of levelling for Wheat crop
Parameters Conventional Land Leveling
Laser Land Leveling as per
Farmer's Method
Laser Land Leveling as per Engineering's
Method
Cost of Leveling per Acre (Rs.) 3,411.1 2,714.4 3,045.7
Number of Irrigation 4 4 4
Total Volume of Water Applied (Cubic/Acre)
1,657.4 1,178.7 1,038.1
Time Consumed (Hrs/Irrigation/Acre) 3.7 2.8 2.5
Results shows that 28.9 % irrigation water saved in laser levelled field which was levelled as per
farmer’s method and 37.4 % irrigation water saved where the land was levelled as per engineering’s
method. Results also shows that 25.4 % of irrigation time saved where the land was levelled with
laser land leveller as per farmer’s method and 30.4 % time of irrigation saved in laser land levelling
which was levelled as per engineering’s method.
Study also reveals that 927 cubic meter of water saved in laser levelled field per acre per season
which is equal to 0.53 wheat acreage. In monitory term, it was Rs. 7,416 amount saved in laser
levelled field as compared to conventional land levelling.
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Table 1.3: Impact of Laser Land Levelling on water saving, time of irrigation and cost of levelling for Wheat crop
Parameters Impact of Laser Levelled as
per Farmer's method Impact of Laser Levelled as per Engineering’s method
Saving in cost of Leveling per Acre (Rs.) +20.4% +10.7%
Saving in number of Irrigation +0.0% +0.0%
Saving in volume of Water Applied (Cubic/Acre)
+28.9% +37.4%
Saving in time Consumed (Hrs/Irrigation/Acre)
+25.4% +30.4%
1.4.2 Impact of LASER Land Levelling on Growth and Crop Productivity
LASER Land Levelling has a positive impact on yield of maize and wheat crop. The results given in
the Table 1.4 shows that 23.4 % yield of maize and 13.06 % yield of wheat crop increased due to
laser land levelling as compared to conventional land levelling.
Table 1.4: Impact of Laser Land Levelling on growth an crop productivity of maize-wheat crops
Parameters
Maize Wheat
Conventional Land Leveling
Laser Land
Leveling
Conventional Land Leveling
Laser Land Leveling as per
Farmer's Method
Laser Land Leveling as per Engineering's
Method
Average Yield (Mds/Acre) 58.2 65.8 33.4 41.2 43.1
Average Price (Rs./Mds) 950 950 1,172 1,172 1,172
Total Revenue (Rs./Acre) 55,290 62,510 39,145 48,286 50,513
Average Yield (mds/Acre)
Average Yield (mds/Acre)
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1.4.3 Impact of LASER Land Levelling on Cost of Production
Farm costs represented the value of goods and services utilized in agricultural production. The results
of the cost of production of maize and wheat are presented in Table 1.5. Costs have been broken
down in a cash costs and non-cash cost (depreciation and opportunity) costs for production factors
that are owned by the maize-wheat growers. The overall cost of maize sowing in laser levelled field is
less Rs. 37,812 as compared to conventional sowing of Rs. 41,425. Similarly, overall cash costs of
wheat sowing on laser leveling technology is less Rs. 28,786 per acre, as compared to on
conventional sowing of wheat Rs. 30,213 acre.
Table 1.5: Impact of Laser Land Levelling on cost of production of maize-wheat crops
Type of Cost Parameters
Maize Wheat
Conventional Land Leveling
Laser Land Leveling
Conventional Land Leveling
Laser Land Leveling
Cash Cost
Variable Cost
Labor Cost
Land Levelled 2,230 1,824 2,611 2,350
Ploughing 550 550 550 550
Sowing 1,200 1,200 800 800
Weeding 550 550 550 550
Harvesting 4,400 4,400 3,850 3,850
Threshing 2,700 2,700 2,200 2,200
Loading/Unloading 1,100 1,100 825 825
Sub Total‐A 12,730 12,324 11,386 11,125
Input Cost
Seed Cost 6,200 6,200 2,450 2,450
DAP Fertilizer 2,850 2,850 4,275 4,275
Urea 5,400 5,400 4,050 4,050
Nitrophous ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐
N:P:K ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐
Pesticides 1,475 1,475 ‐ ‐
Weedicides 1,050 1,050 1,225 1,225
T/W Irrigation 3,740 2,530 1,540 1,100
Threshing cost 2,100 2,100 3,063 3,063
Transportation cost 1,150 1,150 1,050 1,050
Sub Total‐B 23,965 22,755 17,653 17,213
Total Variable Cost 36,695 35,079 29,039 28,338
Fixed Cost
Canal Water Charges 85 85 85 85
Land Taxes ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐
Total fixed Cost 85 85 85 85
Non Cash Cost
Rent of Land ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐
Irrigation Labor 2,995 998 1,089 363
Labor for Pesticide application
1,650 1,650 ‐ ‐
Total Non‐Cash Cost 4,645 2,648 1,089 363
Total cost of production (Cash cost + Non‐cash cost)
41,425 37,812 30,213 28,786
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1.4.4 Impact of LASER Land Levelling on Net Revenue in Maize-Wheat Cropping
System
Yield increased in laser land levelled field as compared to conventional land levelling field. Results
shows that 65.8 mds/acre of maize and 41.2 mds/acre of wheat yield achieved in LASER land
levelled where land was levelled as per engineer’s method as compared to conventional land
levelling. In wheat crop, land was levelled with laser land leveller as per farmer’s method and
engineering’s method. Results shows that 7.8 mds/acre (23.4 %) yield of wheat increased in field
which was levelled with laser land levelling as per farmer’s method and 9.7 mds/acre yield of wheat
crop increased in field which was levelled as per engineering method compared to the yield of
conventional levelled field..
Table 1.6: Impact of Laser Land Levelling on Net revenue of maize-wheat cropping system
Parameters
Maize Wheat
Conventional Land
Leveling
Laser Land Leveling
Conventional Land
Leveling
Laser Land Leveling Farmer's Method
Laser Land leveling
Engineering's Method
Average Yield (Mds/Acre) 58.2 65.8 33.4 41.2 43.1
Average Price (Rs./Mds) 950 950 1,172 1,172 1,172
Total Revenue (Rs./Acre) 55,290 62,510 39,145 48,286 50,513
Total Cost of Production (Rs./Acre) 41,425 37,812 30,213 28,786 28,997
Net Revenue (Rs./Acre) 13,865 24,698 8,932 19,501 21,516
Maize Net Revenue (Rs./Acre)
Wheat Net Revenue (Rs /Acre)
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1.4.5 Impact of LASER Land Levelling on Energy Saving
In maize-wheat cropping system, 57% source of water irrigation is tubewell which is operated by
diesel and electricity. Saving in irrigation water in both maize-wheat cropping system was 1,546 cubic
meter per acre (927 cubic meter in maize and 619 cubic meter in wheat crop). Saving in water mean,
saving in suction of water and saving in suction mean saving in diesel/electricity. Less time spent on
irrigation means less energy spent on irrigation. The study shows that laser land levelling saves
electricity amounting to about 115 kWh and 72 litre of diesel per acre per year for maize-wheat
cropping system which decrease the cost of production.
Table 1.7: Impact of Laser Land Levelling on electricity and diesel saving in maize-wheat cropping system
Particular Unit Impact due to Laser Leveling
Technology
Saving in Electricity kWh/Acre/Year 115
Saving in Diesel kWh/Acre/Year 72
1.4.6 Impact of LASER Land Levelling on Climate Change
In laser land levelling, 1,546 cubic meter of water is saved in maize-wheat cropping system. On Farm
Water Management distributed 5,000 laser units among the farmers of the Punjab province. An
impact assessment study of Monitoring & Evaluation consultants shows that a single laser land
levelling service provider levelled 280 acres in year. So, 5,000 service provider will levelled 566,802
hectares of land in year. The study reveals that 566,802 hectares of land have been made climate
friendly annually through the use of LASER to land levelled by reduction 23,264 tons of CO2 emission
to environment by reduction in pumping of water through tubewell operated by diesel. A related study
(Jat. et al 2015) reported that use of laser land leveller over conventional land levellers reduces
emission of greenhouse gases through decreased water pumping time, decreased cultivation time
and better use of fertilizers.
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1.4.7 Impact of Laser Land Levelling on Net Income of the Farmers
The increased yields and the money saved on water and energy means farmers benefited by an
additional Rs. 15,292 per acre in a year from growing maize and wheat. Results revealed that
farmer’s use of laser leveller to land levelled and saved Rs. 5,816 in irrigation water, Rs. 8,266 in crop
yield and Rs. 1,210 in irrigation time. Laser leveller also decreased the cost of production and
increased the net income of the farmers.
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1.5 Conclusion and Key Findings
Laser land levelling have positive impact on volume of water applied for irrigation to maize
and wheat crop. Study revealed that 3,411.2 cubic meter of water applied in conventional
land levelling and 2,484.3 cubic meter of water applied to laser levelled filed in maize crop.
Results shows that 927 cubic meter of water is saved in laser levelled field which is 27.2 %
to the conventional land levelling.
In wheat crop, 1,657.40 cubic meter of water applied in conventional levelled field and
1,178.70 cubic meter of water applied in laser levelled field which was levelled by farmer’s
method and 1038.1cubic meter of water applied in laser levelled field which was levelled
by engineering’s method. The results shows that 478.70 cubic meter of water saved in
laser levelled field which is 28.9 % to the conventional levelled field which was levelled by
farmer’s method and 619.30 cubic meter of water saved in laser levelled field which was
levelled by engineering method which 37.4 % to the conventional levelled field.
LASER land levelling considerably lowers irrigation time for maize by 12.1 hours per acre
per season and for wheat by 6.2 hours per acre per season.
LASER land levelling increases yields by an average 23.4 % for maize crop and 13.04 for
wheat crop as compared to conventional land levelling.
LASER land levelling saves electricity about 115 kWh and diesel about 72 litres per acre
per year for maize-wheat cropping systems.
Cost of production decreased by an average 8.72 % for maize crop and 4.72 % by wheat
crop in laser levelled field as compared to the conventional levelled field.
The study showed that it reduces greenhouse gas emissions about 23,264 tonnes of CO2
from saving on energy, reduction in pumping of tube well, reducing irrigation time and
increasing input efficiency.
Higher yield means higher incomes for farmers. Study revealed that land levelled by laser
leveller reduced the cost of production, irrigation volume applied, time of irrigation and
increased the fertilizer use efficiency and ultimately increased the net income of the
farmers. The results showed that Rs. 15,292 net income per acre in a year saved where
land was levelled by laser leveller in maize – wheat cropping system.
1.6 Policy implications
Laser land levelling is just one among numerous farming activities that contribute to sustainable
agriculture. When used in combination with other resource-saving practices and technologies like
High Efficiency Irrigation System (HEIS), sprinkler irrigation system, solar energy based irrigation,
precision nutrient application, bed & furrow irrigation and zero tillage the gains can be multiplied for
each farmer and the community as a whole.
Punjab Irrigated-Agriculture Productivity Improvement Project (PIPIP)
Impact Assessment of Laser Land Levelling
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